Latest news with #terrorban
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Hundreds arrested in police crackdown at London rally against Palestine Action terror ban
Hundreds of people have been arrested in London for protesting against the terror ban on the group Palestine Action. Demonstrators gathered in Parliament Square in Westminster on Saturday to silently hold up signs, which read: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.' Within minutes of the protest starting at 1pm, rows of police officers filed into the square and started handcuffing protesters. With limited space in police cells, many of the activists were not taken into custody but released after their arrest and allowed to go home, with bail conditions not to attend any further protests in support of Palestine Action. By 3.40pm, police had made 200 arrests 'with more to follow'. The Metropolitan Police brought in scores of officers from other forces to help with a busy weekend of protests. Around 15,000 people were estimated to have taken part in a separate Palestine solidarity march through London, to highlight the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza. Organisers of the action in Parliament Square claimed that between 600 and 700 people took part in the demonstration against the terror ban. However the police disputed this saying that around 500 to 600 people were in the square at 1pm, but many were 'onlookers, media people or people not holding placards in support of Palestine Action'. A spokesperson for the force said they were confident everyone holding a placard support Palestine Action 'was either arrested or is in the process of being arrested'. Home secretary Yvette Cooper decided to proscribe the group Palestine Action after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and sprayed two military planes with red paint. Huda Ammori, the co-founder of the group, has been allowed to challenge the government's decision to ban the organisation under anti-terrorism laws, with a court case due to be heard in November. Campaigners from Defend Our Juries, who co-ordinated Saturday's action, have pledged monthly protests against the ban until the High Court case is heard. As a result of Palestine Action's proscription, it is an offence to hold up a sign or wear a t-shirt in support of the group under section 13 of the Terrorism Act. The first arrests were near the statues of feminist campaigner Millicent Fawcett and the Indian non-violent activist Mahatma Gandhi. Onlookers applauded the protesters and shouted 'shame on you' at the police making the arrests. A Home Office spokesperson said: "The home secretary has been clear that the proscription of Palestine Action is not about Palestine, nor does it affect the freedom to protest on Palestinian rights. "It only applies to the specific and narrow organisation whose activities do not reflect or represent the thousands of people across the country who continue to exercise their fundamental rights to protest on different issues.' Separately, thousands of people joined a pro-Palestine solidarity March in London to highlight the worsening crisis in Gaza. Marchers chanted 'Gaza must have food and water, no more killing, no more slaughter' and 'free Palestine' as they made their way from Russel Square to Westminster.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Watch: Moment police arrest protesters as hundreds rally in support of Palestine Action
Watch as police detain demonstrators during a protest against the terror ban of the group Palestine Action. (9 August) Footage shared by Labour MP for Hayes & Harlington John McDonnell captures officers carrying a demonstrator into a police van in Parliament Square. 'People are being arrested for peacefully protesting against the proscription of Palestine Action. It's a disgrace that people are being arrested for upholding our democratic rights,' McDonnell wrote. The government's proscription of Palestine Action as a terror group, which makes it an offence to hold up a sign or wear a t-shirt in support of the group , is currently being challenged in the High Court.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
London protests live: Police swoop to make arrests as hundreds rally in support of Palestine Action
More than 50 people have been arrested at a demonstration against the terror ban of the group Palestine Action. Hundreds of people have gathered in Parliament Square in Westminster to hold up signs, which read: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action'. The Metropolitan Police has brought in scores of officers from other forces to help deal with a busy weekend of protests. Between 600 and 700 people are taking part in the demonstration against the terror ban, organisers of the action in Westminster said on Saturday. The government's proscription of Palestine Action as a terror group is currently being challenged in the High Court, with a court case expected later in the autumn. As a result of Palestine Action's proscription, it is now an offence to hold up a sign or wear a t-shirt in support of group under section 13 of the Terrorism Act. Home secretary says freedom to protest is 'cornerstone of democracy' Ahead of today's demonstration against the ban of Palestine Action, the Home Office said that the group's proscription as a terror organisation would not affect 'the freedom to protest on Palestinian rights'. A Home Office spokesperson said on Saturday: 'The home secretary has been clear that the proscription of Palestine Action is not about Palestine, nor does it affect the freedom to protest on Palestinian rights. 'It only applies to the specific and narrow organisation whose activities do not reflect or represent the thousands of people across the country who continue to exercise their fundamental rights to protest on different issues. 'Freedom to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy and we protect it fiercely'. Holly Bancroft9 August 2025 14:21 Who are Palestine Action? The proscribed 'terror' group taking the government to court Palestine Action is a direct action group that was banned by the Home Office after several of its members broke into an Oxfordshire RAF base to spray-paint military planes. Formed in 2020, Palestine Action has conducted a series of direct action protests over the past five years, largely against arms manufacturers operating in the UK and selling weapons to Israel. Unveiling the intention to ban the group following the incident on June 23, Ms Cooper said it was the latest in a 'long history of unacceptable criminal damage committed by Palestine Action'. Who are Palestine Action? The proscribed group taking the government to court The UK-based group has been targeting arms manufacturers in the UK since 2020 Holly Bancroft9 August 2025 14:10 What is it like at the Lift the Ban protest? The crowd, who gathered in Westminster at 1pm, could be seen writing "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action" on white placards, with the vast majority remaining silent. Several demonstrators carrying placards that read "Palestine Action terrorises Britain while Hamas hides in hospitals, schools and mosques", briefly walked along the crowd before being led away by Metropolitan Police officers. Other clusters of protesters who were not holding placards gathered around the Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela statues in the square singing pro-Palestinian chants. The officers lifted the protesters - some sitting and some lying flat - off the ground before escorting them away. Onlookers applauded the protesters and shouted "Shame on you" at the police making arrests. Holly Bancroft9 August 2025 14:01 Bianca Jagger attends London protest against Palestine Action ban Bianca Jagger was among the demonstrators at Parliament Square, holding a sign quoting the words of UN human rights chief Volker Turk. Mr Turk has criticised the ban, saying that it was at odds with international human rights law. Ms Jagger wrote in The Independent that she would be at the demonstration 'to demand that the UK government uphold our right to freedom of speech and to denounce the genocide that the Israeli government is perpetrating in Gaza against the Palestinian people'. Holly Bancroft9 August 2025 14:00 Pictured: People take part in Lift the Ban protest in Westminster People protesting against Palestine Action's terror ban take part in a mass action in Parliament Square, Westminster, central London. Holly Bancroft9 August 2025 13:57 Police have started making arrests at protest against Palestine Action ban Police have started arresting demonstrators for holding up signs in support of banned terror group Palestine Action in Parliament Square, Westminster. Hundreds of people gathered in Westminster at 1pm today and wrote 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action' on cardboard signs. This is an offence under terror laws, as the law bans signs or t-shirts in support of terror groups. Home secretary Yvette Cooper recently proscribed the group Palestine Action, after an attack on UK military planes at RAF Brize Norton. Holly Bancroft9 August 2025 13:54
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
London protests: Police swoop to make arrests as hundreds rally in support of Palestine Action
News UK Crime Demonstrators are campaigning to lift the terror ban on protest group Palestine Action
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Britain braced for anarchy: Palestine Action plot to overwhelm police in London as tinderbox migrant protests in Nuneaton, Bristol and more threaten chaos
Hundreds of Palestine Action supporters are expected to swarm police and risk arrest as they descend on London 's Parliament Square to defy its ban as a terror group - while migrant protests across the country have prompted chaos fears. The Metropolitan Police said it has drawn officers in from other forces to help form a 'significant policing presence' in the capital as it faces a busy weekend of demos. More than 500 people are expected to hold up placards supporting the proscribed group in Parliament Square, after organisers Defend Our Juries announced earlier this week the event would go ahead. The ban means that membership of, or support for, Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, under the Terrorism Act 2000. It comes days after the first three people to be charged with supporting the group in England and Wales were named. Jeremy Shippam, 71, Judit Murray, also 71, and Fiona Maclean, 53, have all been charged with displaying an article in a public place, arousing reasonable suspicion that they are a supporter of a proscribed organisation after their attendance at a previous demonstration last month. More than 200 people have been arrested in the wave of Defend Our Juries protests across the UK since the ban was implemented by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper last month. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said: 'The Met is very experienced at dealing with large-scale protests, including where the protest activity crosses into criminality, requiring arrests. 'While we will not go into the specific details of our plan, the public can be assured that we will have the resources and processes in place to respond to any eventuality. 'Anyone showing support for Palestine Action can expect to be arrested. I would once again urge people to consider the seriousness of that outcome. 'An arrest under the Terrorism Act can have very real long-term implications - from travel, to employment, to finances. Also, as we have seen this week, it is very likely an arrest in these circumstances will lead to a charge.' Two marches organised by the Palestine Coalition and pro-Israeli group Stop the Hate, respectively, will also be held on consecutive days in central London. The coalition's supporters will march from Russell Square to Whitehall followed by an assembly with speeches. Public order conditions have been imposed on the march which means it must not form or begin before noon, protesters must not deviate from or stop to form assemblies along the agreed route and the protest must end by 5.30pm, the Met said. Other major events in London this weekend include the Community Shield match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Wembley, which will require sizeable police resources. 'This is going to be a particularly busy few days in London with many simultaneous protests and events that will require a significant policing presence,' Mr Adelekan said. 'I'm grateful not just to the Met officers who will be working incredibly hard over the coming days but to those colleagues from other forces who have been deployed to London to support us.' Last week Palestine Action received permission to challenge its banning after the High Court ruled it had an arguable case. The ban came after two military aircraft were vandalised at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire in June, causing damage worth £7million. A judicial review will take place in November, with protests set to continue on a rolling basis until then. A Home Office spokesperson today said: 'The Home Secretary has been clear that the proscription of Palestine Action is not about Palestine, nor does it affect the freedom to protest on Palestinian rights. 'It only applies to the specific and narrow organisation whose activities do not reflect or represent the thousands of people across the country who continue to exercise their fundamental rights to protest on different issues. 'Freedom to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy and we protect it fiercely. 'The decision to proscribe was based on strong security advice and the unanimous recommendation by the expert cross-government proscription review group. This followed serious attacks the group has committed, involving violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage. 'It also followed an assessment from the joint terrorism assessment centre that Palestine Action prepares for terrorism, as well as worrying information referencing plans and ideas for further attacks, the details of which cannot yet be publicly reported due to ongoing legal proceedings.'
